Description

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)

The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) founded in 1929 as the Forest Research Institute (FRI) was a department under the Forestry Headquarters Peninsular Malaysia. It was not until 1985, the Institute became a statutory body governed by the Malaysian Forestry Research and Development Board (MFRDB) under the then Ministry of Primary Industries. Later in 2004, FRIM was administered by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.more...

Located 16 km north west of Kuala Lumpur, the 544.3 ha campus is surrounded by the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve. FRIM, which recently was awarded the MS ISO 9001:2008 accreditation is headed by its Director General, Dato’ Dr. Abd. Latif Mohmod.
FRIM promotes sustainable forest management and the optimal use of forest resources through the knowledge and technology generated from the various researches conducted. Not only is FRIM proud of its diverse expertise, its award-winning researches and international collaborations have earned the Institute a name for itself in the tropical forestry.

FRIM has five research divisions, three technical support divisions and three administrative and finance divisions. Of the five research divisions, the Forestry & Environment Division focuses on conservation of forest ecology and biodiversity by providing data, standards and guidelines in managing tropical forest on a sustainable basis. The Forestry Biotechnology Division researchers into ways to establish cost-effective forest plantations as an alternative and/or supplementary supply of timber. The Forest Products Division researches into the utilisation of ligno-cellulosic materials and promotes the development of forest based industries. The Forest Biodiversity Division focuses on the conservation of forest biodiversity by providing samples, data, standards and guidelines in managing the tropical forest, while the Medicinal Plants Division researches into the medicinal values of forest plants and product development.

Among the facilities available at FRIM are the five arboreta that serve as ex-situ conservation areas and references for forestry education, a xylarium with more than 10,000 wood samples of over 1,500 species, a herbarium established in 1908 with over 200,000 specimens, a library, a nursery, several venues for seminars and conferences.

The nine field stations located in different localities in the country also facilitate researchers conducting studies in respective areas. The Institute also offers a wide range of tests and services for the industries such as preservative test, soil test as well as resistant tests for furniture and fire doors.

FRIM, which has become a popular spot for picnickers, joggers and nature groups provides visitors, opportunities for outdoor recreation and nature education activities. It is also a preferred place for family day event, bird watching, jungle trekking and nature photography. The campus, which was once a degraded land with and long-abandoned sterile mining pools, scrubby wasteland and barren vegetable farms, is today a haven for nature lovers to enjoy fresh and for serene ambiance.

This Profile was created by MESYM with information available on the Organization's website.

OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED. Please pre register for the limited number of slots available for guided walks. For the hale and hearty you can opt to go to the Canopy Walk limited to 100 pre-registrants and 75 pax for the leisurely but knowledge packed Stars of FRIM (tree identification of selected trees along the main roads)

To allow for a fair distribution of participants, each registrant can only register for a maximum of 3 persons only (e.g parents and 1 child).

‘Aliens’ in FRIM – Rerun

The Nature Guides are organizing a rerun for the popular Guided Walk through the FRIM Natural Heritage Site. If you missed the walks that was organized previously, come join us this year!

The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Kepong was first established in the 1920s. Back then, the area was stripped of its original forest cover for vegetable farming and mining. Over the years, more than 2,500 plant species from all over the world have been planted for research purposes. In 2010, it was declared a national Natural Heritage Site. Roads going around the campus are now lined with towering trees, where many are more than half a century old. Most casual visitors, however, never get to find out that they have just strolled underneath a row of rare endemic trees only found in three sites in the world, smelled the fragrance of an exotic flower that is the secret ingredient of a top-brand perfume, stepped on a small fruit in the middle of the path that is a delicacy eaten around South East Asia, brushed off a fallen leaf from a tree famed for its “magical” medicinal properties or driven past an avenue of high-grade timber sought after for architects’ drafting pencils… The next time you visit FRIM, would you be contented with merely seeing trees and plants or smelling fragrances without knowing what they are?

If you have a curious mind, come join Chew Ming Yee and Lim Chung Lu, two humourous botanists and nature guides, for a 1.5 to 2 hours easy guided walk around the main campus of FRIM and learn a few secrets of these local special and valuable plants and trees.

Note: this is a rerun of part 2, for those who are anticipating to join part 3 of the 3-part walk, kindly look out for it in the coming months.

The walk starts at 8:30am. Further details will be given upon signing up.

Besides standard entrance charges to FRIM (refer to http://www.frim.gov.my/?page_id=174), a fee of RM10 is chargeable to cover insurance and SIG fund. Children below 18 years pay only RM3.

Wear suitable loose clothing and good walking shoes. Insect repellant is advisable for those with sensitive skin. For the rest, long-sleeves should suffice. Bring a bottle of water and some healthy snacks.

Part 3:The beginning and the end of a stream. (date to be fixed later)

Forest Seed Management Workshop 2013

This is our motto. When human beings began to grow forests artificially, they did so in the same way that nature did it – they planted seeds!

Unfortunately this simple and effective way of afforestation has almost been replaced by planting and the previous breeding in tree nurseries – but only almost: we still master this method, and have adjusted is to the requirements of our age and perfected it!

Yet the principle always remains the same for us, too: “Do it like nature does it, then you can’t go wrong!”

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MESYM.com is a crowd-sourced platform and a living database for environmental movements in Malaysia. There are many good actions being done out there. Our goal is to bring them together. We connect the green dots.